Three Newcastle friends enjoying a holiday in Turkey found themselves caught up in an attempted military coup.

Bradley Latus, 19, from Heaton , is on a “lads’ holiday” in the beach resort of Marmaris with schoolmates Jack Bell and Jonny Maddick, both 19.

But just four days into their trip, the trio found themselves forced to trio to hide in their hotel room as hundreds took to the streets to protest over an attempt to overthrow President Tayyip Erdogan’s government.

Bradley first spotted stories about the trouble in the country on social media while out drinking on Marmaris’ main nightlife strip.

He said: “We saw a couple of stories Facebook, then on TV in the bars but then the internet went down so we were just wondering what was going on.”

The pals decided to head back towards their hotel and stopped to get a kebab near where they were staying.

“When we were inside the restaurant the roads just filled with protesters marching, people on motorbikes shouting and police. We didn’t see any violence but thought it would be best to go back to our room,” Bradley said.

At around 4am, Bradley said he could see four or five military helicopters flying above the resort and heard gunshots and explosions nearby.

He said: “I just heard this massive bang, an explosion of some sort. We were scared, everyone in the hotel was concerned. We didn’t know what was going on at all, we were worried that tourists were being targeted.

“We just didn’t have a clue what was happening.”

Bradley Latus, Jack Bell and Jonny Maddick, all 19, from High Heaton on holiday in Marmaris before the attempted coup (Image: UGC)

President Erdogan told media on Saturday that the plotters had tried to attack him in the resort town of Marmaris.

“They bombed places I had departed from right after I was gone,” he said. “They probably thought we were still there.”

Gunfire and explosions were reported in the capital Ankara and main city Istanbul on Friday evening as military chiefs tried to overthrow the president.

It has been reported that a total of 194 people died during clashes and more than 1,500 military personnel have been arrested by Turkish authorities.

President Tayyip Erdogan now claims the attempted coup is over - but tensions remain high and Brits are being urged to stay indoors.

The trio, from Heaton, say that the resort is quiet and the atmosphere is tense, though locals have reassured holidaymakers that everything has now returned to normal.

The friends still has 10 days left of their holiday, and say they have no plans to return to the UK early.